The Demon: The Life of George Fordham

The finest jockey rider on the English turf during the nineteenth century was George Fordham--lauded throughout the sport as the Demon.

Such was the judgment of his contemporaries from jockeys and trainers to owners and chroniclers. Yet history has not been kind to Fordham. Fate saw his career overshadowed by that of bitter rival Fred Archer, a jockey deemed his inferior but whose suicide invoked immortality.

The question remains: if Archer is fit to be mentioned in the same breath as twentie...